Resident Evil: Liberty City Saga
by Micheal Spalding
Summary: Umbrella moves its operations to Liberty City, the STARS members must team up with a career criminal to stop them.
1. Crude Business

Resident Evil: The Liberty City Saga  
  
By: Micheal Spalding  
  
Chapter 1: Crude Business  
  
Francis International Airport was teeming with activity, even at three in the morning. However, across from the airport stood the memorial fountain erected during Liberty City's 50th anniversary. No one paid attention to the two men in trench coats who stood next to the fountain, waiting. One was a tall, slightly heavy man with dark hair and a briefcase in each hand. The other was a slightly stooped oriental man with a calm demeanor about him. "Mr. Love?" The three men who approached wore business suits, the two flanking the leader had tell tale bulges under on their left sides. The oriental man glanced at Donald Love and waited for his nod before moving away with the two bodyguards. Under the fluorescent lights, both dark haired men had a sinister look to them, however Donald Love felt a little nervous with the man's calm smile. "Mr. Love, I'm here about your offer." Donald Love set one of the Briefcases on the fountain's edge, snapping the clasps to show the man the deeds. "These are the deeds to all my property in Liberty City. There are the warehouses at the docks and in Shoreside Vale, the radio stations and stores, and my headquarters near the subway. I need to move to new territory, things are getting too tight for me here. I here Vice City has some property for sale." "That sounds nice, here is the money that we promised you." The man handed him a sealed manila envelope before taking the briefcase off the fountain. Love opened it and quickly counted the bills. He nodded and motioned for the Oriental Gentleman to join him. "Thank you, I hope you have better luck here than I did. But now I have a plane to catch, Mr. Trent." Trent looked out over the bay at Staunton Island and the lights of Portland beyond. His bodyguards had gone to get the car, but Trent knew that Umbrella would probably destroy this city just like it did Raccoon City. From what he had heard during the meetings with the Board, they were going to use Love Media and Donald Love's property to set up another set of labs and a new headquarters. After Claire Redfield had managed to infiltrate their 'secure' headquarters and the damage that idiot pilot had caused trying to 'catch' her. They brains behind White Umbrella had decided to relocate to another city. They had chosen Liberty City because the high crime rate and criminal organizations would keep the authorities off of them. He just hoped they would use more caution this time and knew that they wouldn't. There were several million people in this city and God only knew what a virus outbreak here would cause...  
  
Joseph Cain switched radio stations in the stolen Banshee, cranking the volume up to here it over the police sirens behind him. He had managed to get his revenge on Catalina through various criminal employers and favors to the bosses. He still felt kind of bad about Maria though, but she just wouldn't shut up. He hadn't shot her, just put a bullet close enough to her head to get the point across. She had run away crying, saying she had thought he was different. She had been cute, but had a big mouth. Asuka was dead; the Yakuza had approached him about filling her position as head of the family. Kenji was probably rolling over in the grave the Joseph had put him in, a Gaijin as head of the Yakuza. But he had really liked Asuka; it was a shame she was dead. Of all he had worked for, her and Eight ball were his favorites. He had turned down the position; he didn't want to take the chance that he would be in that position when Donald Love decided to turn up and leak the information about whom had really assassinated Kenji. Besides, he had enough rep on the streets that he could start his own organization if he wanted to. Joey turned the Banshee hard to the left, hitting the slope near the entrance to the Lower Cochrane Dam. The Banshee flew over the river, landing hard in the woods. He adjusted the rear-view mirror to watch the two cop cars drop into the river, the third made it over but it landed on its roof. Joey waved to the driver as he crawled out his window before heading towards the airport. "In a surprise business move, Love media has sold all its assets in Liberty City to Umbrella Incorporated. Company owner Donald Love could not be found for comment, but it is rumored that he was under Federal Investigation for a plane that was impounded for dumping six packages in the Portland bay. As you all remember, an unknown party killed the Federal officers in possession of the plane and the plane's fuselage was stolen from the airport. More on this story as it develops" Joey shook his head, changing the station to Game Radio. Love had left him in the cold, made him paranoid about being ratted out. If he was under Federal Investigation, then he probably fled. But that gave Joey something to use if he ever needed a story for the cops. He rarely got caught, but he didn't need the cops on his case all the time. Something to bargain with was always good, but something like this could give him a get out of jail free card if the shit got too thick. Those hackers had erased his file from the cops computers, so Joseph Cain didn't really exist any more, but if they ever got his file again and he was on the one way to Liberty Pen... who knows what he might 'remember', right?  
  
One year later  
  
Maria sat behind the receptionist desk at what had once been Love Media. She had only been working there since the company arrived in Liberty, but she still felt like it was her first week. All she did was accept deliveries; take messages for the Doctors and other employees, and inform people of their appointments arrivals. At the moment, she didn't have any of that to do so she was playing a game of solitary on the computer while listening to Rise FM. Howard Dodge, the security guard on duty during her shift, sat across the lobby from her, dozing at his desk. The job paid an incredible amount for how easy it was, but she was allowed days off and three weeks paid vacation. True, she had to wear a dress skirt and jacket, but it was a small price to pay. The bell sounded as the automatic doors slid open, a gust of hot summer air rushing into the air-conditioned office as Dr. Kevin Smith walked in, his expression in its usual sour setting. "Oh, Dr. Smith, this memo came for you. No messages besides this, sir." Maria handed him the paper before turning back to her game. Howard had sat up in his seat since the boss had arrived, trying to look like he was working on his computer, even though it was turned off. "What!? More security changes! What the hell do they think we're doing here?" Dr. Smith turned on Howard, but skipped his usual ridicule of the man and stormed off towards the elevators. Howard and Maria shook their heads to each other, neither knowing what was going on four stories below them.  
  
Jackson Stevens walked quickly down the street, heading towards the park. He was a respectable construction worker with a wife and fifteen year old daughter, but his life had gone down hill since his wife had decided to read the Now and Xen book. She only cooked this awful tofu crap and was always bent like a pretzel. His daughter didn't even seemed to know he existed, and disobeyed him every chance she got. His business partner had mentioned to him this one hooker who hung around the park, but he had said he would never stoop that low. Now he was walking in the park in a long raincoat and hood despite what he had said. He was only forty-one years old, the prime of his life. His wife was two-year his junior, but had denied him a physical relationship for the past five years. It was like that guy Fernando on the radio said; it was what he needed. Peter had said the hooker hung out by the basketball courts and used the shed as her 'Motel'. That must be it, by the Landstalker. Jack approached the shed slowly, unsure of what to do. The inside of the shed was dark, but the door was slightly ajar and a light silhouetted a woman on a bed. He moved through the door and shut it behind him. Turning, he saw that the woman hadn't moved. All he could see was her outline, laying one her side with her face towards the light. "Kelly Clamp? My friend recommended you for help..." Strange, he thought, she seems to be asleep. I wonder if I just missed Peter. Jack chuckled at his own joke and mover towards her. "Ms. Clamp." He shook her shoulder, trying to wake her up. She rolled onto her back and Jack was stunned by what he saw. Kelly Clamp lay naked in the bed, her eyes staring up at the ceiling of the shack blankly. Where her throat had once been was only a bloody mass of gristle and bone. Jack covered his mouth to keep from throwing up; a human tooth was lodged in the bloody mass and gleamed like a pearl. Jack turned away from the gruesome sight to be presented with another one. "Holy shit!" Jack shouted, grabbing the bat Kelly had kept by her bed for protection. "Peter? Is that you?" Jack whispered, sweaty hands gripping the bat. Peter Paterson stepped into the light, a shadow of his former self. His friend wore no shirt, his left arm hanging on only by the bone. The left side of his face was an open wound, the cavity where his eyes should have been a ragged hole. Three of his teeth were missing as he reached for Jack with his working arm, the other hand working anxiously as he stumbled forward with a mournful moan. Jack swung the bat down more out of denial then out of fear; his friend couldn't be a zombie. The bat connected with a sickening Thud; brains, bone shards, and blood splattering on his face. He looked down at the crumpled body of his friend, breathing a shaky sigh of relief. Jack couldn't believe that he was going to sleep with a hooker because his wife was going through a phase. Still, Kelly had been good looking from the pictures Peter had showed him. Part of him knew that his mind was folding in on itself as he tried to keep his sanity, but he turned to look down at the dead woman even so. She wasn't there! Jack turned towards her just as she lunged; her eyes filmed over with a white, milky film. As Kelly Clamp buried her teeth into his throat, all he could do was think of his wife and daughter. With his last breath, he managed to scream. The zombie that had once been Kelly Clamp finished feeding on Jackson Stevens' body, leaving it on the bed she had once used to make her living. With that, she fell out the window and moved deeper into the city. Several minutes later, the animated corpse of Jackson followed her into the predawn light.  
  
Detective Ben Carter knelt over the body of Peter Paterson, looking at the bat that had caved in his skull. "It doesn't make since, sir. The rate of decay on the body appears to have taken four to five days, but the witnesses said that they heard a man's scream from here less than an hour ago." The beat cop flipped his notepad over to read his next page of notes. "Also, one Gordon Murphy said he saw a bloody, naked woman leaving the scene followed by a man in a raincoat, also bloody. We think it may be the owner of this property. One Ms. Susan Oglavich, a.k.a. Kelly Clamp. Three counts of prostitution, two counts of solicitation, and once count of armed assault. We don't know who the man was." Carter waved the man off, moving to the bed. "There was another murder here. Whoever killed Mr. Paterson was defending himself, but he was attacked from this side and fell back onto the bed. Get me samples of these two bloodstains, I want to know if they're from the same person... Have you found Ms. Oglavich yet?" The beat cop shook his head. "It can't be that hard to find a naked woman covered in blood!" "You'd be surprised, sir." The beat cop said before exiting the shed. Carter knelt down on the floor, lifting the piece of paper that lay just under the bed. It was a letter to a Jackson Stevens. Jack, Listen, I know that you don't want to do this, but I think it would really help you out. Kelly Clamp has been a friend of mine for years, she knows your problems and has agreed to help. You can meet her in the park, by the basketball courts. Trust me, it will save your marriage. Your Friend, Pete It wasn't much, but maybe he'd get lucky. Carter flipped the letter over to find that it was stationary for PanLantic Construction. They were working for Umbrella to remodel Love Media's sub-levels. Maybe that was the link. All Carter knew was that this was no regular case.  
  
"This bulletin just in. The LCPD are stunned today as the investigation continues into a rash of murders through out Liberty City. They have begun a citywide curfew today in an attempt to protect citizens against this unexpected killing spree. So far, six people have died and police are leaning towards a single serial killer. Citizens are reminded to travel in groups at night and to stay off the street between the hours of nine PM and six am. More on this story during our regular broadcast at Seven o'clock." Joey turned off his TV, moving to the window of his apartment. It was the same on that Asuka had told him about, the view from the top floor allowed him to see most of the city. The Staunton Island Plaza blocked his view of Northern Portland. Even at midnight, the twentieth floor of the plaza's main building was brightly lit, Umbrella had bought that also. If you asked him, they knew something about what was happening in the city, they just weren't talking. All he had to do was sneak in and- -The phone on the desk rang, pulling Joey out of his thoughts. He moved to the desk and read the caller ID. Out of Area. Joey switched on the speakerphone and sat in the chair behind his desk. "Yeah." "Joseph Cain?" He answered the affirmative. "Good, my name is Trent and I have a job for you." Joey thought about hanging up, but something about the way Trent talked made him think. "Oh, don't worry. I'm using a secured line and I checked your phone line and it isn't bugged." Trent's voice seemed to smile at him, making him wonder what he knew. "I have heard a lot about you from the Yakuza and several other gangs, and I also know that the Mafia and Cartel are, how shall I say this, you're not on their best side. Anyway, I have some friends arriving at Francis International tomorrow and I would like you to help them. They are a special team of investigators who want to have a look at Umbrella without the constraints of red tape. Can I acquire your services for the duration of their stay?" "Well, Trent, I'm not exactly a tour guide and-" "Ah, yes, I know of your exploits. Well, maybe I could persuade you to help us. I'm willing to offer you fifty thousand dollars a day for your services and expertise. They will be arriving in three hours, just tell them I sent you and they'll ask you for a password. The word is STARS. So, can I count on you?" Weird, he seems to know that I would for it without a doubt, Joey thought coldly. He didn't like to be played. Still 50 thou was a weeks work now a days and crime wasn't exactly easy with the increased patrols. "Yeah, I'm in."  
  
Author's Notes: I named the main Character of GTA3 Joseph Cain in case your wondering, made him talk too. Any suggestions or ideas are welcome. 


	2. Arrival

Chapter 2: Arrival  
  
The helicopter swung wide around the helipad, causing Joey to turn away from the whipping winds of the blade. Paper and dust sprayed off the helipad and swirled down into the ocean below. A couple of fliers stuck to the side of the bullet proof Patriot Ray had left him, it seemed like the best selection for picking up a group of investigators. Plus, he was too close to Cartel country to stop being cautious. They still weren't happy that he had not only killed Catalina and blown up their chopper, but he still hadn't been in this area for over a year and there was a chance they had forgotten about him. The chopper landed and six people worked to unload the boxes from the belly of the giant metal beast. Two men carried a large box down to the Patriot and slid it into the back of it, the shocks bouncing hard as they set it down. They hurried back as two others loaded duffel bags next to the box. Joey couldn't help but grin, whoever they were they came prepared. "Mr. Cain?" Joey turned to find himself facing a beautiful, shapely brunette wearing a dark blue beret. "Are you Mr. Cain?" "Yes, Trent told me the password. STARS." The woman smiled at him, extending one gloved hand. Joey recognized them as the type military and SWAT members used. "Jill Valentine." She said, pumping his arm once in a firm grip. "Could you help us with these?" Joey nodded, her voice almost drowned out by the high whine of the blades. There was one more box that the others hadn't gotten; from the weight of it he judged that they were guns. A dark- haired man came down from the helipad as the chopper lifted into the night Jill and he talked quickly. He heard the name Barry mentioned several times as they moved past him. Joey and the other man set the guns in the back of the Patriot and he closed the tailgate. "Okay, as long as there isn't anything else we can get out of here." He turned in time to catch a glimpse of a blue pick-up moving towards them. "GET IN NOW!" Joey shouted, running to the driver's side and jumping in. He started the Patriot and slammed it into reverse. "What is it?" Jill asked, putting her seat belt on next to him. Joey didn't have time to responds as the Cartel Cruiser skidded around the corner. Joey didn't wait; he pulled the Uzi from under his jacket and opened up on them. Still firing, he slammed on the gas and smiled as he thought of his choice of vehicles. "Is there something we should know?" Jill shouted as she pulled a 9mm Glock from her coat and fired at the second Cruiser. "Well, just that they want me dead and you guys because you're with me." Joey turned hard to the left, maneuvering the car around a private jet and past a jumbo. "They were headed by my ex-girlfriend who left me for dead and I kinda killed her and they're still pissed. But don't worry, this is a bullet proof Patriot." The Patriot smashed through the crossbars to the airport, the cruisers right behind them. Once on the main road, Joey headed up the hill and to the right. The bell warning for the bridge started, causing a new smile to play across his lips. "No problems." He said, pressing the accelerator to the floor. "Uh, Señor Cain. The bridge is going up!" Carlos Olivera cast a sidelong glance at Rebecca Chambers, unsure what else to say. "I know. Don't worry, I do this all the time." There was a long line of cars blocking the path, so Joey drove up on the railing sparks flying behind them as the cruisers followed. Joey gritted his teeth as they moved past the last cars and onto the bridge as it began to rise. The Patriot was now driving on only two wheels, but Joey corrected it quickly without slowing. The first cruiser managed to make it on too, but the second smashed into the bridge's bottom and stopped. "Okay, now what?" Leon Kennedy asked as he returned fire with the Columbians. He saw the answer to his question and braced for impact. "Man, I should have joined the army." He growled, holding Claire Redfield close to him as the Patriot went airborne. After a few seconds of weightlessness, the Patriot hit the ground and bounced. Joey fought for control of the heavy vehicle, winning as they slid to a stop mere inches from the edge of the loop, the Park below. The Cartel, however, were not luck. They had landed on their top and slid past them off the edge. Joey looked back at the explosion and turned to Jill with a smile on his lips. "Welcome to Liberty City." Jill rolled her eyes and continued to reload her clips.  
  
"The man who killed Catalina was in the area earlier, we were tipped off by one of our Jamaican contacts who saw him heading into the airport. He managed to kill four of the eight men I sent, apparently he out drove them. What should we do boss?" Jose sat across from the boss, no one knew his name and he was referred to a Tyrant. The boss turned towards him, wearing his sunglasses as usual and smiling like a shark. "He picked up a group of six people, you said. Who returned fire on your men? Well, I want them found and I want them eliminated. If I have to do it myself, you know what will happen." Jose swallowed heavily, barely able to make out the bosses blond hair in the dim light. "Yes sir, I'll see to it personally." With that, Jose jumped to his feet and hurried out the door. Albert Wesker smiled after him as he looked down at the pictures taken by the airport's security cameras. "The Redfields and crew, just what I need when I'm so close to getting that new virus sample for Trent. I can't trust these morons, so I'll have to use a few friends from the Redfields' past." Flipping the switch under his desk, Wesker turned to watch the wall slide up to reveal two stasis tubes. The specimens' vitals were in the green, all he had to do was push a button and the tubes would drain and they would wake up. "What the hell." Wesker muttered and pushed the drain button.  
  
"Mr. Cain, this is Chris Redfield and his sister Claire." The two shook his hand as they walked past him to enter the safe house. "Carlos Olivera and Rebecca Chambers." Carlos took his hand and said something to him in Spanish that no one under stood. "And Leon Kennedy." Leon shook his hand, "You're nuts, you know that?" "Yeah, but I'm gonna be a rich nut after this job." Leon laughed at that and joined the others in the elevator. "We've got the whole top floor, twenty rooms in all. You can get settled in while I move this stuff up." "Don't you need some help?" Jill asked with a concerned look on her face. Joey shook his head and motioned to the hand truck in the back of the garage. "Okay, see you upstairs." Jill said, hurrying to catch the elevator. Joey couldn't help but watch her rear as she ran he was a guy after all. Once the door shut, he set to work loading the boxes onto the hand truck. The heavier boxes he simply slid onto the hand truck, but it still took him four trips to get all the boxes upstairs. Leon stood by the window, a pair of binoculars in his hand as he scanned the Staunton Island Plaza's twentieth floor. "Not a whole lot going on over there, but it looks like its only a file room and such. Might be a good place to start our search." Claire was lying prone on the bed, marking spots on a map with red marker. Each mark represented a place owned by Umbrella. She wore one of Leon's old baggy police academy shirts and a pair of short denim cutoffs. "Or it could just be a file room. But look at this, according to the addresses Trent sent us, they have several warehouses in Portland and Shoreside Vale. And this newspaper clipping says that the PanLantic Construction is remodeling the sub-levels of what used to be the Love Media building." Leon sat down next to her reading the clipping in her hand. "Seems like a good chance they're building another Lab." Claire said sweetly, looking up at him with her big grayish colored eyes. "Yeah, but Umbrella usually hires outside companies to build their labs, that way there is no one around who knows those labs exist." Leon said lightly, his brow furrowed with concentration. "Look at what the reason is though, there isn't enough power to run all the labs so they are having them install several high-powered turbines and other electrical equipment. I'm willing to bet that if we start there and follow the wires, then we'll find the lab." Claire rolled on her back, her hair encircling around her head like an aura of light. It was Leon who had finally helped her decide to use the blond highlights she had bought. "Admit it, I'm just that damn good." "Well, we'll just see what the others have to say tomorrow during this meeting your brother has planned. In the meantime," Leon used his fingers like they were legs to walk up Claire's leg; "I'm going to take a shower. Care to join?" Claire laughed heartily at that one rolling off the bed and grabbing the remote. "Oh, I'm sure Chris would just love that." Claire puffed her chest out and acted like she was making muscles. "Leon," She said in a deep voice, "I need to talk to you.. What the hell are you doing in the shower with my baby sister!" The two shared a laugh, Claire swiping at him with a pillow. "No, he means well, but that would be pushing it too far. Remember how he freaked when we announced we'd be staying in the same room together last week. I don't want to go through another 'Over My Dead Body' fight and need to call on Jilly for help." Leon nodded and smiled, remembering the argument well. He though it was weird that Jill and Chris could share a room, but Claire and him was viewed like the plague was viewed in Europe. Jill had finally stepped in and taken Chris aside, it was good timing too because Leon was sure that Chris was going to tear his head off. Finally Chris had consented, but Leon felt that he still wasn't thrilled about the idea. But for now Leon would keep his libido in check if that was what Claire wanted. "I'm going to go check on Claire real quick!" Chris shouted, moving towards the door as Jill started the shower. He was sure he could make it through the door before- "-Don't even think about it, Chris. Just because you're her big brother doesn't mean you have the right to barge into her private life. What are you going to do if you go bursting into the room ready to beat Leon into a pulp and they're watching My Dog Skip?" Jill asked, moving to block the door. Chris snickered at that one, moving back to the bed. "Yeah, just like my sister to watch a movie that would make her cry. More like a Jackie Chan movie." The two sat next to each other on the bed. "You know, we've got a big day tomorrow. I'm going to take a shower and then go to sleep. So you better be here when I get back. or else." Chris watched as she walked into the bathroom. He decided against going to check on Claire, he'd probably end up bursting in on Carlos and Rebecca. He lay back, turning on the TV to the local news channel. They were having more attacks on citizens; Chris felt a wave of deja vu as he picked up the file that Trent had sent them before they had come to Liberty City. He hoped it wasn't another T-Virus outbreak. 


End file.
